The Distance Between You and I
by Nikoru-chi
Summary: (Rewritten from Complicated Relations.) A broken friendship, secret love/hate, and a cry for help. A girl tries to ensue a normal high school career, only for it to be ensnared with drama from the past. With people watching her every move, and an enemy seeking revenge, it seems like any wrong step could result in a tragic ending.
1. Chapter 1

**As promised, I told you I would be redoing "Complicated Relations", and here I am with the first chapter. Some events or things from the original have been replaced with events/things I thought would better suit the story. This will be more detailed and possibly graphic (not in the first chapter, but later on).**

 **This will most likely NOT be a lemon or smut, but it will have some sexual scenes that won't be…they'll be descriptive, but not descriptive?...**

 **Anyway, here you go. –Nikoru**

 _ **Chapter 1**_

My fingertips hovered over the plastic covering of the scrap book in my lap as I looked through the photographed memories. I couldn't sleep, so looking through this seemed like a good idea. The vortex in my stomach didn't die down though, because the thought of my first day as a junior of high school was scary. I've already been through two years of high school, so why do I still get freaked out about it?

I can give you a perfect reason why, but I don't like thinking about it too much. I could only stare at the photos beneath me. The smiling faces of Luka, Gumi, Miku, and I filled a majority of the page. Pictures where most of our teeth were missing or cheesy smiles made me feel nostalgic. "Oh my gosh, I'm sixteen years old…" I slumped forward. We all were, except Miku, she was a year older, but she was held back a year. Luka is actually a year younger, and this will be her sophomore year, but unfortunately, she is still taller than I am. Gumi and I are the same age. We have been friends the longest; eight years.

Pictures of everyone who were soon added to the group were also in the scrap book. Like Teto, Gakupo, and Kaito…even Yuuma, dare I say him. I closed the scrap book, not venturing farther for my own good. As I was sliding the book back into its home in my desk, a large yellow envelope slid out. The edges were worn out and tattered. My handwriting was scrawled over the top of the page with a warning to myself saying, " _Open at your own risk"._

I bit my lower lip, debating on looking at the contents inside, or putting it away like I should. My emotions overrode my logic as I picked up the manila envelope and ripped through that tape that sealed it. There they were, those awful pictures. I pulled them out and sorted through them, spreading them out onto my bed. It's hard to believe that the boy in the pictures could ever hurt someone with his soft smile and gentle eyes. Those deep blue eyes, just a shade or two darker than mine, looked like the soft blue of twilight in the evening.

I could feel my eyes and chest burning, but I continued looking through the pictures, glancing at the most recent picture of him. This boy was different however; he was slim and nicely shaped, much different than the original pictures. His skin was smooth and he was wearing a football jersey. His blonde hair, the color of pale gold, was disheveled. The tears spilled, and I no longer held back the sob buried within my chest. My door opened and a boy who was a year older than me walked in.

"Rin? Rin!" He said, his voice alarmed as he quickly walked over to my bed and held me. I sniffed softly and tried to stop crying, to put on a brave face. "I'm fine Rinto, I'm fine…I'm just on my period…" I tried to make an excuse, but he was already looking at the pictures with a scowl. "Don't lie, Rin, the evidence is out in the open. Why are you looking through this? You don't need him." Rinto said, his voice tense. I sat in his lap and let him hold me, not saying anything as he rubbed my back. He sighed in exasperation and used his leg to push the pictures onto the floor.

"If anybody says anything, let me know, okay? If Neru says anything at all, I don't care if it's just your name, you let me know. I'm not afraid to slap a bitch." Rinto told me, tilting my chin upward to make me face him. I stared at him, trying to tug my chin free with no success. "Rin." He said sternly, forcing my eyes to his. "Let me know." He said softly and hugged me. Rinto is my older brother and a senior this year. He's a nuisance, but I do love him. Rinto pulled back and glanced at the clock on my nightstand. "It's almost three in the morning and we have school tomorrow…why don't you try to get in at least an hour or two of sleep?" He suggested, ruffling my hair teasingly.

I nodded in response and climbed into bed, burrowing under the covers so that only my face was visible. Rinto smiled faintly and turned towards the door, turning off my lamp, before glancing back at me. "Sometimes it's hard to believe you're a junior when you act like that." Rinto said, ducking as I threw a pillow at him in response. "Good night, Rin, I love you." He said closing my door.

"You shut the door before I could say it back!" I yelled out, but he must have already walked downstairs, because I didn't get a response. I turned over in the bed, rubbing my eyes from the recent tears. I laid there, thinking for a while until sleep finally came to me.

I could tell I was dreaming, but I didn't want it to just be a dream. His fingers were laced with mine again, and he was smiling at me with that cheesy grin. I could see myself laughing, squeezing his hand affectionately as he rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. He was mine again. Those gentle eyes holding the stars and his hair gently covering his eyes. Suddenly the calm atmosphere became heavy and tense and I was pinned beneath him.

"A-ah, no, we can't." I squeaked softly as his lips overtook mine and moved down, from my chin to my neck. His hands were beneath my shirt, grabbing and touching. "Stop! Please stop!" I cried out, trying to shove him away. I wasn't strong enough to push him away and he began to strip me.

"No, Len!"

I quickly sat up from the bed, gasping for air as a cold sweat made my shirt cling to my back. "Oh god…" I clutched my arms to myself, before getting up and running to my bathroom, dry heaving into the toilet bowl. I felt my heart beat slowly calm down as I sat there. I leaned against the tub, the cool marble soothing my burning skin. A clock on the nearby wall told me it was six thirty in the morning. I began to run a bath, knowing I was feeling too sick and dizzy from the dream to be standing up to take a shower.

The smell of orange blossom and vanilla soon relaxed my senses as I sat in the tub, playing with the bubbles that floated in the water. _What if I see him? What if Neru talks to me?_ I rested my forehead on my freshly shaven legs and groaned. I finally managed to pull myself up from the tub and wrapped it around my body, glancing at myself in the mirror. I got my braces off in June and my teeth were perfectly straight now. My face was thinner, with less of a baby face look. My light gold hair was now clinging to my lower back in wet strands. I had really changed since eighth grade, I thought sadly. So did Len. I quickly went back to my room and put on my school clothes. A black and white plaid skirt, knee high tights, a pair of black flats, a white button up shirt, red tie, and a black with white trim over jacket.

I combed through my hair and began to dry it before putting in two white bobby pins on each side of my hair to keep my bangs out of my face. Then I reached for my most treasured possession; a white ribbon with my initials neatly sewn onto the edge in yellow. The edges were a little tattered, but overall the ribbon was in good condition considering how old it was. It's hard to believe anyone would keep a ribbon for eight years and I gently tied it into a large poofy bow atop my head.

I smiled faintly and went down stairs into the living room, seeing Rinto passed out on the couch with a Wii remote in hand. I tilted my head and sighed softly before pushing him of the couch. He woke up with a start as soon as he landed on the floor and rubbed his eyes before looking up at me. "What the hell? What was that for?" He groaned, standing up. "For not letting me tell you I loved you too last night. You need to get up anyway, we have to head to school in thirty five minutes. Go get dressed while I make breakfast." I smiled softly and watched him trudge to the stairs, grumbling under his breath.

A white and orange fluff ball soon rubbed against my legs, meowing softly before I picked her up. "Good morning Citrus, are you hungry too?" I cooed to her softly, petting her head gently. The heavy cat purred in response and rubbed her head against my chin. "Damn, Citrus, you're heavy. I'm buying you healthy cat food from now on." I made a face and carried her into the kitchen.

After feeding Citrus and making bentos for our lunch, I popped two frozen waffles into the toaster. It was some sort of thing that Dutch people made, but I did appreciate the sweet fluffy texture of them after I drowned them in syrup. I set Rinto's waffles on the table, shooing Citrus away who started to lick the syrup from the plate. Rinto came in a couple of minutes later after I ate my breakfast and garbled down his cat contaminated waffles, but it's not like he needed to know Citrus licked it.

I put the plates into the dishwasher and signaled to Rinto that we needed to leave. He wiped the syrup from his mouth onto his white sleeve and groaned as he realized that he now had a syrup stain on his sleeve. I snorted and headed towards the door as he grabbed the keys. I walked towards the car and climbed into the passenger side, tossing my bag into the floorboard beneath my feet. Rinto opened the door and threw his bag at me before climbing in and pushing the keys into the ignition.

On our way to school, we could see dozens of kids walking on the sidewalks in the same direction as us. It was a nice day; the sun was rising and there were a few clouds in the sky. It seemed like it would be a perfect day, and I eventually relaxed and felt that nothing could go wrong today.

 _Unfortunately, that was my ultimate mistake._


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter up. Enjoy.**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

Rinto pulled into the school parking lot and turned off the ignition before I handed him his bag. He put one strap over his shoulder before getting out. I opened my door and felt my feet hit the pavement in a dull thud. I picked up my own bag and followed Rinto to the school building. It was early and we had about fifteen minutes to spare. Rinto and I went separate ways, heading toward our own group of friends.

I looked for the familiar bright hair colors of my friends, but only found that Gakupo was sitting at a nearby table. Everyone's bags were nestled there, but only he was sitting there. A flash of bright green, teal, and magenta could be seen from my peripheral vision, but I didn't notice it fast enough to avoid being sent tumbling two feet away from where I was originally standing. "Ah, fuc-" I screamed, feeling my head hit the grass in a not so gentle way. Teto, Miku, and Gumi all nestled on top of me, squealing happily in delight. "Rin-chan!" They cried out in unison.

"…why? Of all things, why?" I groaned, rubbing my head. It took me a moment to notice that something was touching-, no, squeezing my chest. "Teto…" I said, my voice low. "Yes, Rin-chan?" The magenta haired girl answered. "…why are you squeezing my chest like that?"

My face was burning with embarrassment and Teto smirked at me wickedly. "Rin-chan has been holding back on us, right you guys?" I looked at Gumi and Miku, who were staring at my chest in accusation. They glanced over at Teto and grinned satanically. "RIN-CHAN HAS BOOBS NOW!" They yelled in unison. If I ever had any dignity, it just committed suicide. Everyone who was in ear shot was now looking in our direction as Teto, Gumi, and Miku all stood up.

Gumi pulled me up and hugged me, before Teto and Miku did, but I was too flabbergasted to hug them back properly. "Rinny, I missed you!" Miku said happily. "…" "Rinny?" "I'm going to kill you all, and make sure that I demolish the corpses beyond recognition." I said softly. Teto, Gumi, and Miku looked between each other and laughed. Miku's pigtails swung back and nearly hit another student walking by. Gumi pretended to wipe a tear away from her eye as she put her hand on my shoulder. "Ah, Rin, you're a little short, and I'm faster than you. Also stronger…" Gumi pointed out, poking my chest.

"Stop that!" I screeched and covered my chest with my bag. "What are you guys doing to poor Rin?" A softer, almost more mature voice came from behind us. I turned to look at Luka, who was walking up. Luka has always had boobs, so she had nothing to worry about. If anything, Luka had almost fully matured before anyone else, Miku not to far behind her. Gumi and I had been flat-buddies, but I guess Gumi was now officially the flatty.

"Luka, Rin has boobs!" Teto yelled for the second time. I couldn't help, but facepalm. Luka just shook her head and sighed. "Come on Rin, I'll protect you from the molesters over here." Luka snorted softly. Teto, Gumi, and Miku all shifted through their bags, Teto pulling out a plastic binder with little croissant stickers over the front, Miku pulled out her large stuffed leek (her pillow for when she slept in class), and Gumi pulled out a carrot (most likely part of her lunch). They held each item as a weapon and I feigned fear.

"Oh no, Luka, they all have school supplies out, they're going to beat us up!" I mock cried. Luka laughed and reached into her bag to pull out an umbrella, wielding it as a sword in front of her. "Fear not, Rin, for I, the lovely and dazzling pink knight, shall save you!" She said, puffing out her chest. Gumi, Teto, and Miku looked between themselves before back at us.

"Charge!" Gumi shouted, pushing her red goggles down and running at us, Miku and Teto at her heels. "Ah, fuck, run shorty!" Luka grabbed my wrist and dragged me to where Gakupo was sitting, laughing as Teto, Gumi, and Miku chased us. I struggled to keep up, and could hear Gumi breathing down my neck before skidding to a stop in the hard dirt. Gumi didn't have time to stop and ran into my back, knocking me down. She collapsed on top of me, and her lips met mine.

Have you ever kissed a girl before? Well, other than my mom, I hadn't up until that point. Gumi's lips were warm and soft…and tasted like carrot juice? Our eyes were both open, and Gumi stared wide-eyed for a moment before getting off of me, her face bright red. "AHHHH!" We both screamed and heard laughter around us. We both looked up to see Gakupo, Kaito, and Teto have blood dripping down their nostrils and onto the ground.

"Ah, you perverts, who the hell gets a nosebleed from their friends accidentally kissing each other?!" I yelled at them, my face burning. I could tell Gumi was mortified, because Yuuma just happened to be standing there, a goofy look on his face. "So…you are bisexual? Or lesbian?" He asked, rubbing his head sheepishly, looking to the side. Gumi couldn't answer, and I made a fist at Yuuma. "OF COURSE NOT, THANK YOU. I HIT THE BRAKES AND SHE TUMBLED OVER ME AND ONTO MY LIPS." I yelled at him.

He snorted and just shook his head. Gumi got up and ran to the school, her face bright red. I sighed softly and followed after her, not even trying to keep up with her. She would end up in the bathroom, and I would have to console her. I opened the doors of the school and walked inside, glancing down hallways to see which bathroom Gumi might have gone to, but there were at least five and all of them were in different directions. I sighed and slumped my shoulders forward in defeat.

"Every sigh takes a little happiness away." A voice came from behind me. I snorted and looked up at the tall teal-headed boy. "Yeah, well, who's to say I'm particularly happy anyway?" I replied, watching as he gave me a half smile. "…how are you? You know, after…all of what happened this summer?" Mikuo asked, biting his lower lip. I felt a hole open up in my stomach and I swallowed nervously. "…I'm better." I murmured softly, glancing to the side. I could see that Mikuo had a stack of books in his hand, meaning he must have come from the library.

Good ole Mikuo, always being the smarter one of the Hatsune twins. He and Miku always argued, but they were good siblings to each other. Mikuo was quite a bit taller than me, towering at six foot while I was only maybe 5'3". I'd known Mikuo for a couple of years now, and we were good friends. "…I still can't believe that…he did that…I told you he was a _scumbag."_ Mikuo snarled at the end. "No he's not, don't say that!" I almost shouted, watching the surprise flicker over Mikuo's face.

"He used you, Rin. He played with your feelings, all to get into your pants." Mikuo said lowly. I felt my lips form a tight line. "Almost. He _almost_ got into my pants…" I whispered softly. Mikuo only shook his head. "It doesn't ma-" "Have you seen Gumi?" I interrupted him quickly, not wanting to discuss the topic anymore. He blinked in surprise and shook his head. "No I haven't, why do you ask?"

I shook my head. "Long story short, we kissed in front of Yuuma and she's embarrassed." I told him. He made a face and chuckled. "Thought you said you weren't bisexual?" "I'm not; I'm love-sexual. I don't care about gender, love is love. I think if I like a girl, I like a girl and there shouldn't be a problem. I'll cross that path when and if it comes to it. Other than that, Gumi is the first girl I've kissed." I responded indifferently.

"Well did you like it?" Mikuo inquired. "I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her carrot juice lips~" I sang jokingly, causing Mikuo to laugh. "But seriously, did you?" "…I guess? It felt the same as kissing a boy." I shrugged. "Not only that, Gumi is my best friend. That's all she could be to me. Like a sister." Mikuo looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, why don't we go wait outside for Gumi? She probably wants privacy, and if _you,_ the girl she kissed, goes to comfort her, it might make it worse for her." Mikuo suggested and I frowned slightly. "I've seen her naked. I don't see why this kiss is a big deal to her." "Naked?" "When you've been friends since the fourth grade, you kinda don't care about that sort of thing." I pointed out and he nodded in agreement as we headed towards the doors of the school. Unfortunately, it just had to be that moment he was walking up with his group of friends.

Len, Neru, Lilly, and Akaito.


	3. Chapter 3

**Third chapter is up for today, enjoy~**

 **The Everything Theory:** **First off, thank you for leaving a review, the first review in fact** **I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope you continue to read!**

 _ **Chapter 3**_

I saw Mikuo tense beside me before he shoved me behind him and out of Len and his group's line of vision. "M-Mikuo?" I mumbled into his back. He only gave me a grunt of response as Len and his friends passed by. There was a gap where Mikuo's arm was, and I looked through it to see Len's hand holding Neru's, their fingers intertwined. I felt my stomach drop and my eyes burn. _Oh why? Why me, why now?_

Mikuo turned back to look at me as they disappeared, and grimaced as he saw my expression. "Rin, please don't cry. Don't cry, Rin, everything is going to be okay…" Mikuo said, pulling me into his chest and hugging me tightly. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing and I just cried into Mikuo's chest. He pulled back and wiped my tears away with his thumb, sighing softly.

"Thanks Mikuo, it means a lot." I sniffled softly. He smiled faintly. "Anytime. That's what…friends are for, right?" He replied and ruffled my hair. Gumi came walking around the corner, took one look at me and suddenly the atmosphere around her became tense, almost satanic. "Hatsune, I'm going to kick your ass!" She yelled and ran at him, kicking him in the private area. Mikuo fell to his knees before collapsing on the floor, curling up into a ball while holding the middle area of his pants.

"O-ow…my dick…" He said hoarsely. I could only gape at the scene, looking up at Gumi who instantly hugged me. "No one makes my Rinny cry!" She declared, sticking her tongue at me. Mikuo only groaned in response. "You…you're fucking psycho, what the hell? You probably just killed my future kids!" Mikuo pointed an accusing finger at Gumi. Gumi only smirked and shrugged.

"Now you don't have to worry about a condom!" She laughed. "Gumi!" I finally managed to find my voice. She looked down at me, her large green eyes gleaming in the florescent lights. "Yes?" "Why did you kick Mikuo?" I asked, her expression becoming puzzled. "Because…he made you cry?" She said, her voice questioning her answer. I shook my head, my blonde hair swishing.

"No, Le-… _he_ walked by…with Neru, Akaito, and Lily…" I said softly. I heard Gumi grit her teeth. "I really hope you don't have any classes with him this year. I don't even want him breathing the same air as you." She growled. I grimaced slightly and hugged her tightly.

"…it wasn't all of his fault; I'm to blame as well." I mumbled. Gumi sighed and patted my head. "Yeah well, he's at least sixty percent responsible. He was dating Neru, he knew you had feelings, and he took advantage of them. It's not your fault he lied to her and everyone else." She told me. I didn't respond, only breathing in her faint green tea scent. If there's one thing Gumi liked more than carrots, it was tea. Green tea must have been today's flavor for her.

I heard the bell ring and pulled back from Gumi. Everyone already thought we were secret bisexual partners, and we didn't need any more crap than what we already had. Not that I really cared, but more the fact that Gumi really liked Yuuma and wanted him to notice her. Today probably ruined her hopes of him thinking of her as dating material.

I pulled out my slip of paper that had my schedule on it. Sophomores and up get their schedule a week early, while freshman receive theirs on their first day of school. Our first class together was band, one that Gumi and I shared with Teto. I smiled at Gumi and watched as she linked arms with mine. We both played clarinet, surprising huh? Teto did too. I was a chair behind Gumi, and Teto was three chairs below me. Luo Tianyi was first. We walked down the hallway that lead to the band room, Gumi and I still having our arms linked. I didn't have to worry about Len having this class with me, because Len had quite…but _Neru_ was a different story. Neru was a French horn player and the squad leader. Len had played the French horn too, before he dropped out. I groaned slightly. It was marching season, but because it was the first day of school, our band directors allowed us to have the day off and dress nicely. Not like we could anyway, we had school uniforms.

We pushed open the doors and walked inside, seeing the room filled with other band members. I made a face as Gumi and I pushed through the throng of people to get to our clarinets and then to our seats. We began assembling our instruments and I could feel someone staring at me. _Don't turn to look, don't look back, whatever you do, don't look back._ I sighed happily that I didn't look back, because I knew who was looking at me.

Bruno stepped onto the podium and cleared his throat, waiting for the noise to die down. It took about two minutes for everyone to finally get quiet as we waited for his instructions. It wasn't a state year, but band still took up a lot of my summer and will for the next few months of my school year. I was actually tan because of band, with a few tan lines from clothes here and there. Bruno began speaking as Galaco, Miriam, and Kokone surveyed the room to take attendance. I felt myself become bitter. Galaco had beaten me as drum major, but I forced myself to relax. I always had this year to tryout and I tried to be positive about it. I knew it was because she was Clara's favorite, but that wasn't something I could control.

After attendance was taken, we played our music to our show this year. It was a long hour and by the time it was over, my jaw was sore and my mouth was dry. Gumi made a small noise in complaint and I smiled over at her. I pushed my case into my cubbyhole and picked up my school bag. I noticed a few girls glancing in my direction and whispering. I tried to ignore it and focus on Teto and Gumi as they also picked up their bags. We chatted for the remaining five minutes that is, until Neru shoved past me, knocking me into the wall. The text book I was holding dropped to the floor in a loud thud. I bit my lower lip and sent a warning look at Teto and Gumi, who glared as Neru joined her group of friends.

"Guys, I'm fine. Just ignore it." I hissed under my breath. Teto was a little shorter than I, and she also had a short temper for people who messed with her friends. I always had to constantly keep an eye out for her…and for the people she was about to approach. "But she jus-" Teto started, but I cut her off with a sharp look. "Don't give her what she wants, Teto." I murmured to her. Teto only huffed and crossed her arms as I picked up my book.

The bell rang overhead and everyone began flooding out into the hallway. I headed to my English class, quickly aiming to get a good seat away from everyone. I quickly chose to sit on the side, closer to the window so that I could see out of it. Students started piling in one by one, some in groups. I started reading through my text book for algebra two, my next class, to try to get a head start on some of the problems. Math is my weakest subject, so trying to at least get a refresher on the basics is nice.

I was too absorbed to notice someone brush past me and sit in the seat beside me. It was only when the teacher began taking role call that I knew who was in here. _"Len Kagamine?"_ I instantly stiffened before looking up and searching the room to see if he was really in here. He was sitting directly beside me. Not only was he sitting beside me…

 _He was looking directly at me._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four is now up, hurray. Band camp is starting this week, so chapters may be posted once a week instead of almost being daily. Sorry in advance.**

 **Weepmarshmellows** **: I realize that it was written rather poorly (as it had been my first fanfiction and I was fourteen when I wrote it), and I realized it needed** _ **a lot**_ **of improvement. Unfortunately, I was about to go back and edit the chapters, because there was so much that needed to be changed. I'm glad you do see the improvement and I hope you continue reading :3 (and I assure you, Dark Lover will be updated soon! If I can, August 11** **th** **will be the posting date for new chapters!)**

 **The Everything Theory** **: If I could have three genres instead of just two, I would include comedy** **I do enjoy adding humor to situations, to keep readers interested in the story. Suspense is great, but laughter is the best medicine! Believe me, I laughed too when I was writing it!**

 **Guest I guess** **: Cliff hangers always leave a reader wanting more** **Enjoy the new chapter!**

 _ **Chapter four**_

 _He's staring right at me._

I opened my mouth and was about to scream, before remembering I was in class. Everyone was now looking at me, and I couldn't figure out why until I faintly heard the teacher's voice calling my name. _"Miss Kagamine, are you here?"_ She asked a little louder. I shook my head for a moment, clearing the jumbled thoughts swarming inside of it before I answered.

"Yes…I'm here." I raised my hand, to show her where I was. She gave me a short huff and marked me present on her clipboard. "Please make sure you are listening, miss Kagamine." She said, and went back to taking attendance. I quickly ducked my head away from Len and looked outside the window instead.

I could see clouds had started to roll in, meaning it would possibly rain sometime this week. The basketball courts were empty, along with the school pool, which had been recently cleaned and probably smelled like fresh chlorine. The surface of the water was reflecting the left over sunlight and it made me wish to be out in it instead of being in this boring class.

I could hear the teacher faintly say something about coming up to the class and introducing each other, and felt bad for the first person who had to go up there and tell us about them. We were juniors and we pretty much knew who everyone was, but the teachers were being pushed by our principal to do it anyway. People went up one by one, and my name was getting closer to being up next. I saw Len go up, and made sure I only looked outside the window.

"…my name is Len, I'm sixteen…I play football." He muttered. "Tell us some of your hobbies, Len." The teacher urged him. It's not like she really cared, but more that she didn't want to get to work immediately when everyone was finished. "Um…I like to play on my Xbox 1…Elder Scrolls Online is a game I really like." Len said, rubbing his head sheepishly. The teacher sighed and told him he could go sit, and called me forward.

I breathed in deeply and walked up to the class with an expression that made even the teacher laugh. "You don't want to be up here, do you?" She asked me. I looked her and deepened the awkward expression on my face. She snorted softly and smiled. "All you have to do is say a little bit about you, then you can go." She told me. I sighed deeply and stared at everyone blankly.

"My name is Rin, I hate people." I said blankly. I looked at the teacher again. She shook her head and motioned me to continue. "I…I like astrology, all that zodiac and star stuff. I like Greek mythology too. Pretty sure I'm slightly cannibalistic, and if you bother me about anything, I will tell you about Homestuck." I snorted softly. Everyone was giving me odd looks, except for that one lazy half smile that made my heart flutter. I refused to look directly at him and made my way back to my seat.

Do you know how hard it is to not look at someone who keeps going _pssst_ every ten seconds? I laid my head down in my arms and groaned softly. "Pssst…" I must ignore it, I must ignore him. " _Pssst!"_ No. "Rin!" Oh my fucking gosh. "Rinny!" I'm going to kill him. _**"Pssst!"**_ "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!" I yelled, glaring at Len. He looked at me, his eyes widened in surprise. Everyone was looking at me now, and the teacher sighed softly. "Kagamine, to the office." She said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Which one?" Len said. I glared at him and hissed, knowing he was being a smartass. _**"Both."**_ She darkly, and we quickly left the classroom. I curled my hands into fists and walked ahead of Len, quietly seething. _Fuck. My. Life._ I use my hands to express myself, and I started ranting with my body. I could hear Len chuckling behind me and I stopped to glare at him.

"You still do that." Len murmured, rubbing his head sheepishly. I watched him warily as he walked up beside me. I didn't talk to him, and I started to walk faster, trying to keep ahead of him. Len only sighed beside me, and put his hands on his head. The office was pretty close and I almost ran to it. I busted through the door, causing the office lady to scream and drop her pile of paperwork. Papers went everywhere, littering the tiled floor beneath us.

I sighed in defeat and immediately began to help her pick them up. "Why are you running into the office like that? I could have peed myself!" She scolded me. Len watched from the doorway, his hand covering his mouth, holding in his laughter as he watched me hand the pile of papers I gathered back to her. She began to organize them as she went to her desk. "So, why are you in here?" She asked, not looking at us. "I yelled a cuss word in class." I said. She looked up at me, raising a brow. "Were you cussing at the teacher?" "No. At him." I told her, pointing to Len. The lady looked around me and at Len, before smiling. "Couple issues?"

"Hel- no." I started, and quickly fixed myself. She only laughed and shook her head. "Go back to class then. Don't do it again." She told us, and made shooing motions with her hands. I turned towards the door and glared at Len before walking out. I heard the office door close and Len's footsteps as he jogged to catch up to me. "I didn't even have to talk back there." Len said from beside me, and I refused to look at him. He didn't try to initiate conversation anymore and we walked down the hallway in silence. The bell rang overhead and I began to walk faster to go gather my things.

I walked back into the classroom, getting a look from the teacher as I grabbed my bag and my text book. By the time Len walked in, I was already heading back out. I saw Neru by the door and quickly tried to keep as much space as I could between the two of us. "Whore." I heard her mumble under her breath. I knew she had intended for me to hear it. I froze in my tracks and looked back at her. She didn't look at me as she typed on the tiny screen of her yellow iPhone.

If there had ever been a time that I wanted to apologize to her, it was completely forgotten at that moment. I turned away and headed to my Algebra two class, chewing the inside of my cheek as I approached my class. Miku was in there, doodling in her sketchbook. I'd be lying if I said Miku was an okay artist. Miku was actually very talented in drawing and singing. Gumi was also good at being an artist, and I wasn't too bad. Luka was another story. She wasn't bad, but she could use a lot of work.

"Hey, Miku," I called out as I took a seat beside her. "What's up?" She looked up at me and waved. "Not much, just dreading this class period." She told me, going back to her sketch. I smiled faintly and poked her arm. "It's only the first day, I'm sure it won't be that bad." I told her, trying to be optimistic. My first day of school wasn't going that great, but I could always put on a smile for my friends if I didn't want them to worry. Miku made a face at me and I only smirked, that is, until Lily and Akaito into the classroom, holding hands.

I watched them from my peripheral vision as they headed towards me. Lily and Akaito had once been my friends, but Lily took Neru's side, and Akaito being the loyal boyfriend, also sided with Lily. Lily slipped into the desk behind me and Akaito behind Miku. Miku looked at me and I could do was look back at her. "Hey, _Rinny."_ A cold, yet seductive voice came from behind me. I had to hold back from sighing as I turned around to look at Lily and smile. "Hey, Lily." I said as friendly as I could. Her eyes narrowed at my smile, and I tried my best from keeping my voice from shaking. "How was California?" I asked. "Hmm…it was nice. Warm and always sunny. The beach side was nice. I also dyed the tips of my hair." She said, holding the ends of her hair up. They were a deep blue color, almost matching her blue eyes.

I smiled wider and complimented her hair. She was watching me closely, and I knew she would tell Neru everything, and maybe it was just me, but I felt Akaito's eyes staring straight at me as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm trying to get a couple more chapters up before Thursday (the first day of band camp), that way no one can say I starved them of chapters.**

 _ **Warning**_ _ **: The following chapter may be considered offensive as it deals with homophobic issues. I personally support equal rights to everyone regardless of their sexuality, race, or religion, but not everyone is the same. This is to give the story the realistic feeling and is in**_ _ **no**_ _ **way meant to offend anyone. Don't get butthurt, I've left a nice warning right here.**_

 _ **Chapter 5**_

The school day carried on, and while I felt like it couldn't get any worse, it of course did. I was now sitting in my seventh period pre-AP physics class with Piko. Piko and I weren't close, but we had known each other since kindergarten. Piko had always stood out, with his different color eyes and silvery white hair. He was really beautiful, but it was sort of a female beauty rather than male. While Piko wasn't a homosexual (and rather homophobic), he'd had several boys hit on him.

You can't blame Piko for being a homophobic though; when a _heterosexual_ male slaps you on the butt, you can only fear what a homosexual male would do. In fact, Piko was terrified of homosexual guys, always afraid that they would see his rather feminine charm to be a secret sign that he liked males. Piko was in love with a girl named Miki, but if you ever asked if he made any progress, he would always hang his head and mumble in defeat.

Papers were being passed back, and a pile slipped onto my desk. I quickly took what I needed and passed it back to Piko, who had taken a seat behind me. I shifted through the papers and saw two flyers catch my eye. There were two spots open on the cheerleading team after a set of twins, Anon and Kanon, had moved this semester. Tryouts were next week, but what I was looking at was an opening on the color guard team. I bit my lip and smiled faintly.

I may not have made drum major this year, but I might as well try for something else. I slipped the piece of paper into my pocket. "Trying out for something, Kagamine?" I heard Piko ask me from behind. "What's it to you, shota?" I turned and smirked at him teasingly. I saw his face turn red with anger as he huffed. "…I'll have to get back with you on that, I cannot come up with the correct insult for you right now." He mumbled. "I'm only joking Piko…yeah, I think I may try for something." I said to him in a hushed voice.

I was very wary about telling things to people, fearing that something could get back to Neru. Color guard was part of the band, as it requires you to be in band to even try out for it, and with Neru as a squad leader, she could sabotage any chance of me being able to try out. "Well…I'm part of the football team!" Piko said, biting his lip. "Oh really? What position are you?" I tilted my head.

"… _water boy…"_

"…" I stared at him a little confused, before realizing what he meant. I wasn't about to laugh at Piko, that would be really rude, but saying your part of the football team as a water boy? It was pretty funny. I smiled and clapped Piko on the arm. "Good job, Piko! It must be tough carrying those big water jugs and making sure every player doesn't become dehydrated!" I told him. He winced and rubbed his arm before looking up with a crooked smile. " _Well,_ I wouldn't say it's tough, but it definitely isn't easy." He boasted, his smile quite sincere.

Don't get me wrong, Piko could be quite the insensitive ass-hole, but seeing him so happy right now gave him an almost child-like appearance. I could only giggle at how cute he was at the moment. I could've been mistaken, but Piko turned slightly pink in the ears as he looked at me. "Hey, Rin..?" He asked. "Hm? Yeah?" I blinked and tilted my head. Now you could really see the color in his face.

"…you've really changed over the summer, haven't you?" He inquired, his one green and one blue eye staring at me, almost as if he could see into my soul. "Oh? What do you mean?" I responded. He only shook his head and looked at the pile of papers on his desk. "Never mind…so, what made you get a distinguished schedule? I kind of see you as a big… _procrastinator._ " Piko changed the subject.

"…pffft, I know I am. This is the only advanced class I'm taking, and that's because Mrs. Carrol suggested that I get into it after doing so well in her chemistry class. She said physics was rather easy anyway." I answered, half grinning. He nodded, his long silvery locks bouncing with his movement. "It's really just a bunch of math." He said. I groaned. I despise math, but as long as it wasn't algebra or geometry, I would be fine.

After conversing with Piko for a while, the teacher finally stood at the front and began to explain the rules to us. After seventh period, eighth only seemed to fly by and soon I was walking out to the parking lot with Miku, Teto, Gumi, and Mikuo. Luka rode the bus home, so she couldn't dawdle around after school. Miku, Teto, and Gumi were into a deep discussion about Pokemon, so Mikuo and I just walked beside each other in silence. It wasn't one of those weird awkward silences, but the comfortable silence where you just enjoy each other's presence.

Teto soon left after her brother showed up in his Kia, and Gumi went over to her orange Bug, waving as she climbed into the driver's seat and fastened her seat belt. Miku then started to talk to me about wanting to have a sleepover soon, and asked if maybe next weekend would be good. "And we can have candy, and chips, and movies! Tehe!" Miku was chatting away, not even waiting to hear a response from me.

I glanced at Mikuo, who only rolled his eyes and began to mimic Miku. I snorted and began to laugh at him, causing Miku to turn and look at me. "Rin? Are you listening?" She frowned and crossed her arms. "S-sorry Miku, I got distracted." I giggled. "Miku, you're talking Rin's ear off. Mine have been gone since you could start speaking." Mikuo teased her, gently pulling on her pigtails. She punched Mikuo's arm as we approached their black jeep, and I watched Miku climb inside. "Next Friday, Gumi's house after school. We can give you a ride if you want, in case Rinto has to work." Miku told me, stuffing her bag in the back seat.

"Alright, I'll call you or text you and let you know." I told her. Mikuo looked at me for a minute before he pat me on the head. "I know today was probably rough, but it'll only get better. Don't let any of this get to you. If you ever need someone to talk to, you have my number…" He said softly. He was glancing at me arms, and I instantly held them behind my back. That wasn't a good idea, because Mikuo snatched my wrists up, and examined my arms.

"…I hate that you did this to yourself…why didn't you talk to any of us?" Mikuo groaned, his eyes wide with pain. The scars were pale white, some pink, against my tanned skin. Some were thin, others were thick. These scars had stayed since seventh grade, some had completely faded away, and others hadn't. The scars started out soft and thin at my wrist, but only grew harsher and more defined as they went up my arm, showing where I had cut deeply into my arm. There weren't any new lines, but the urge to add more was always there.

Mikuo's thumb gently traced over the scars, feeling the rough texture of them beneath the pad of his thumb. His lips were pressed in a thin line, looking straight at my arm. "…I was afraid to." I finally croaked. "Why? We were here! We could have helped you, if you had only let us inside! You blocked us all out, shut yourself off. You didn't want to hurt us? You hurt us worse by doing this than telling us what was wrong!" Mikuo raised his voice and grabbed me by the shoulders, staring intently into my eyes. Mikuo was like an open book; you could read ever emotion that passed his face.

I could see the hurt and anguish, the furious anger, and my reflection in his eyes. Those beautiful sea green eyes. It hurt my chest seeing the pain in them, especially knowing I was the cause of it. Miku opened her car door and got between Mikuo and I. "What's going on? Are you two fighting?" She asked, preparing to get in front of me.

Mikuo let go of my shoulders and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyebrows pushing together.

"I wish you would open your eyes and see the people who really love you, Rin. _Just for once in your goddamn life, open your fucking eyes!_ "


	6. Chapter 6

**Ah, after being outside in the hot sun, it really makes you appreciate being able to sit down and just type on your computer. Now onto reviews.**

 **The Everything Theory** **: I was wondering where you went (as you disappeared on the fourth chapter). I realize that making a new paragraph makes the story a lot easier to read, but there is a lot of conversing between the characters, and if I were to constantly make a new paragraph every time the characters said something, there would be a lot of wasted space and it would probably make the story format look slightly sloppy! I apologize if that is an inconvenience to you, and I did try to start a new paragraph as much as I could when someone else spoke in this chapter, but there are still areas where another character will speak inside the same paragraph. I hope that doesn't give you a reason to stop reviewing, much less reading! ^.^**

 **Auror-chan: It's always a pleasure to meet a first time reader! I do hope you enjoy this story, and that when you do read Complicated Relations that you see why I'm going back and re-writing it, but that you still enjoy it! It was my first fanfiction, so there are a lot of grammatical errors and misspellings, and also a lack of detail in the story. The characters were also a little flat. I'm trying to go back and fix that. This story, however, will be different and have different events and details, but will carry some similarities to Complicated Relations! I hope to see more reviews from you in the future! I always love responding back to any and all reviewers! :3**

 _ **Chapter 6**_

 _"I wish you would open your eyes and see the people who really love you, Rin. Just for once in your goddamn life, open your fucking eyes!"_

I felt my body stiffen as my breath hitched. My eyes started to burn as I looked at Mikuo. Miku gasped beside me, her eyes widening in shock.

"Mikuo!" She said angrily, stepping towards him.

"What do _you_ know? How do you know what it's like, being afraid of bothering someone with your personal problems? Your personal insecurities, your fears, _your life? Afraid that if you let someone in, they'll run away as soon as they see how broken you are inside?"_ I yelled, the tears streaming down my face. Mikuo looked up, his eyes looking up with a deep guilt as he reached out to me.

"Rin, I-"

I slapped his hand away, watching his face turn into an expression of hurt and regret.

" _You don't know anything!"_ I let out a choked sob and turned away, running from Miku and Mikuo as they called out to me. I could hear my feet pounding against the pavement, but it sounded like they weren't following me. I quickly made my way to the bright yellow blur of Rinto's mustang that he had parked toward the edge of the school parking lot.

I quickly hopped inside and put my bag in the floor board. Rinto wasn't inside yet, so I could cry in private. I reached for the glove compartment of the mustang and began to wipe my face. I looked into the mirror and could see that my eyes were pink and puffy from crying. After a few minutes I calmed down and just sat in the passenger seat. I could see the label, "2015 50th Edition Mustang" labeled on the glove compartment. Rinto had saved his money for two years to buy a car, and he absolutely fell in love with this one. It wasn't yet paid off, but Rinto worked two jobs a week to pay the insurance and slowly pay mom back for the money she loaned him, even though she said he didn't have to.

I saw Rinto walking towards the car, his bag loosely hanging by one strap on his shoulder. He passed by the driver's side and knocked twice on the back of the car. I popped the trunk for him, and watched him put his bag back there before closing the trunk. He then walked back over and opened the door, climbing in and fastening his seat belt.

"Safety first. You know I won't back out of this parking lot until you fasten your belt." He told me. I stuck my tongue out, but quickly strapped myself in. He flashed me a lazy smile and ruffled my hair. Even though we were only a year and a half apart, Rinto treated me like I was his daughter. I don't blame Rinto though, our scum bag dad had walked out and left us while mom was in college.

"…would you like me to stop and get you something to eat before I drop you off, and go to work?" Rinto asked as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed through the city. I looked at him and made a face. He glanced at me and sighed.

"You know I ask, because if there isn't anything you like in the house, you don't eat. That's not healthy." He scolded me. I shook my head and smiled at him.

"Thanks, but I know you're working your butt off to get this car paid for. I'd rather not let you spend money on me." I told him. He instantly flicked on his right turn signal, and turned into McDonalds. I groaned as he pulled up to the drive through and rolled down his window.

"What do you want? The normal?" He asked, looking up at the menu. I reached for my bag and pulled out my wallet. I had left over money from babysitting this summer. He looked over at me and snatched my wallet away.

"Rint-" I started and he cut me off. "Let me get it. I offered to pay, and it's rude for you to whip out your wallet when I already told you I was getting it. Now, what the hell do you want, or I'll order everything on this menu." He smirked, shoving my wallet back into my bag.

"You're so mellow-dramatic. A ten piece chicken McNugget is fine." I said. He then looked to the speaker box, where a man greeted him through the speaker and asked what he would like to order.

"Yes, I'll have a twenty piece chicken McNugget, a large fry, and a large Orange Crush, please." He said as I hissed under my breath. "Rinto! I sai-" He put his index finger over my lips and kept me from speaking. "Rin, you're a bottomless pit, I know you'll be hungry later. Stop complaining and start telling me how much you love me instead." He said, pinching my cheek gently.

"…I love you." I said softly. He blinked and reached over to kiss my forehead. "I love you too. Even if I'm a jerk, I always will." He smiled. He pulled up to the first window and handed the man a ten dollar bill, got his change back, and drove up to the second window to take the bag of food from a girl who looked no older than him.

He handed it to me, but not before he got a fry from the bag. I smiled and shared the fries between us, sticking fries into Rinto's mouth as he drove. That was normal for us, sharing food in the car, only to wind up eating it all before we got home. As we ran out of fries, I opted to give him some of the nuggets, giving him about two before he objected, saying he bought that for me and that he didn't want to eat my food.

Rinto pulled up into our drive way and let me grab my stuff before pulling out to head to work. I waved to him from the door and he waved back before disappearing down the road. I turned the knob of the front door and went inside, taking my shoes off and leaving them underneath the small table that held a crystal bowl full of mints that no one ever would ever eat. There's no telling how old they were, as they'd been sitting there for a long time. I went upstairs and headed to my room. I stopped in front of my mom's door, seeing that it was slightly ajar, but that her room was dark inside.

Mom wasn't always home, and when she was, she was always busy. She was a nurse practitioner, and was constantly working at the hospital. I'd be lying if I said we didn't make good income; that's how mom was able to loan Rinto money. We lived in a nice house…a really nice house, but it was too large for a family of three. There were five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a dining room, a large kitchen, a den, and a living room.

Mom always said if our grandparents wanted to, they could come live with us, or we could house one of our friends if something ever happened to them. My group of friends were outcasts, and most of them came from a rough family background. I also had homosexual friends with very religious parents, so there was always that.

I shook my head and continued down the hall. My room was the last door on the right, beside Rinto's. I went inside and put my bag on a nearby desk chair and flopped down onto my bed. I let out a soft sigh and rolled over, breathing in the faint scent of laundry detergent that was on the pillows. I thought about Mikuo, and instantly felt guilty.

It's not his fault for not understanding; he had never been through what I had been, and I wouldn't want him to. I looked at my arms, glancing over every scar left from the knife that Rinto had taken from me. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, the horrible memories flooding into my head.

"Just why am I so broken?"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

I laid on my bed for a while, the memories a swarm inside my head. I don't know how long I remained there, but when I got up I could see that it was dark outside. I went over to my school bag, and began sorting through things that I would need mom to sign, or for Rinto to forge her signature on. I pushed my hand into my jacket pocket to pull out the flyer for cheerleading and color guard tryouts. I looked at it for a while and debated on whether or not I would actually try out. After some contemplation, I finally pinned it to the cork board hanging up on the opposite wall facing my bed.

Citrus came in, meowing softly as she rubbed against my leg. I picked her up and gently began to stroke her head and back, listening as she purred. I took her back to my bed and set her down before going down stairs for something to drink. It was silent in the house, which honestly made you feel small and lonely. I'd rather have silence than have to hear the loud screaming and banging of objects being thrown as mom and sperm donor fought.

I don't call my biological father dad or anything similar; that was an honor that he didn't deserve. I just referred to him as sperm donor, seeing that it was all he was good for; having sex and reproducing. I gripped the bar and sighed. He hasn't contacted me for four years, not even to call me on my thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, not even my sixteenth birthday.

I remember walking in on him when I was eleven. I had just been dropped off by the school bus after school when I came home. We had lived in a different house then, a smaller one. I could hear them, or, more her than him.

"Daddy?" I had called out. I had walked past the kitchen to the small hallway that had one room; my parent's room. The bedroom door had been slightly ajar, with a bit of light peeking out into the hallway. I had set my bag pack down and crept towards the door, peeking in.

" _Ah! Yes! Yes! Oh, more, more!"_

When you've grown up in a pretty sheltered home, you don't really comprehend what's going on at eleven. I could see the blonde hair beneath, and I could see that scumbag on top of her. I don't know why I opened the door, other than the fact that I had wanted him to stop. I remember crying out to him as I came into the room.

" _Daddy?"_

I watched as they had tensed up, and the unknown woman staring wide eyed at me before she quickly tried to cover herself with the sheets. I remember Al looking at me, a face full of horror and guilt as he quickly tried to put his underwear on. I remember running out of the room, trying to find my mom.

Mom had been at college that day. Al had called out to me, but I immediately went and hid in the bathroom, locking the door so he couldn't come in. I remember Al trying to tell me not to tell mommy through the door, that it wasn't what it had looked like. I sat there and cried for an hour before falling asleep in the bathtub. I remember mom coming and knocking on the door after she had come home from college and picking Rinto up from baseball practice.

I remember telling her what happened, and her expression becoming dark before she told Rinto and I to go to our rooms. I believe that the blonde haired lady left while I had locked myself in the bathroom, because she hadn't been there when I came out. I thought that I had been in trouble at the time for telling her what I had seen, but as soon as I closed my bedroom door, I heard the yelling.

" _You sick bastard, how the hell could you bring that woman into our home, fuck her in our bed, and in front of our daughter! Our eleven year old daughter!"_ I heard my mom scream.

" _You're never home, you're always at college and working. You leave me with the kids and I'm done with it!"_ I heard Al yell back at her. I heard the loud bang as something hit the wall.

" _I'm going to college to make a life for Rinto and Rin, to bring money into this house because everyone knows sure as hell that you aren't! You're out drinking and fucking other women, but bringing that vile woman into our home is the last straw. I'm taking the kids and we're leaving!"_ Mom shouted. I remember crying and Rinto slipping into my room to hold me as we listened to them fight.

" _I want a divorce!"_ Al yelled, as mom opened my bedroom door and picked me up. She took Rinto by the hand and led him to the front door as she carried me. I remember mom looking back at Al with a cold face.

" _Well you've got yourself one. At least there's one thing we can agree on."_ She told him darkly as she took Rinto and I out to the car and loaded us up.

" _You can't take the kids."_ I heard Al shout, as he followed us out to the car. I could see him over mom's shoulder as Rinto climbed into the car.

" _Go ahead and try to stop me then!"_ Mom turned to face him as she fastened me in, shutting the door behind her. I could hear them outside the car and I watched as they argued.

" _Lola, you can't do this!"_ Al said. Rinto had held my hand as I watched. I saw mom push Al away as she climbed into the driver's side and quickly shut the door, locking it as Al tried to open it. I watched as he put his hands on her window, begging her not to take us with her. I remember hearing the tires squeal as she put the car into reverse and quickly pulled out, leaving Al to chase us down the road for a few blocks until he fell onto his knees, just sitting there in the road, watching us drive away.

Mom had taken us to her parent's house. Rinto and I shared the spare bed they had and she slept on the couch that unfolded out to make a bed. I remember living there until I was twelve years old, when we bought a new house. I remember hearing about mom serving Al divorce papers, her going to see a lawyer to fight for custody over Rinto and I. Al fought hard for us, arguing that mom was at college all the time, but in the end, mom won.

I had to visit Al every other weekend for about a year, but when I turned twelve, I stopped seeing him all together. Rinto had already been twelve at the time, and he decided he didn't want to see Al. It turns out that the woman he had been sleeping with had been his secretary, Anne. He ended up marrying her. I have a half-brother named Oliver. Anne had already been pregnant with my biological father's child and had been about two months along when I walked in on them. I met Oliver a couple of times after he was born, but I haven't seen him for four years now.

Rinto never received any calls from Al, and he didn't meet Oliver when he was born. Rinto had a deep hatred for Al, and made sure he never had anything to with him. My hair spilled past my shoulders and onto bar. The smooth marble looked dark in contrast to my hair. My grip on the bar loosened and I went to the fridge, opening it to look for my orange sodas. I grabbed a can and opened it, chugging the orange-cream flavored beverage. There were wine coolers and other assortments of alcohol stuffed at the back of the fridge.

I glanced over them and shook my head. During the divorce, when mom wasn't fighting for custody, or going to college, she was out at bars getting shit-face wasted. I would wake up at night to hear her throwing up in my grandparent's bathroom, her words slurred from the intake of alcohol. I would sit in there and rub her back as Rinto held her hair. I shut the fridge door, and looked over at the oven to see what time it was. It was eight forty three, and Rinto would get off at nine, but be home at nine thirty.

I took my drink into the living room and flicked on the TV. I had a new recording on InuYasha, so I pressed play. It was hard to focus on Kagome fighting with Kikyo, because my mind drifted to Mikuo. I knew I would have to apologize, he was only looking out for me, because he cares. How I was going to be able to face him after saying those awful things, was the question. I groaned in defeat. I could hear cars going past the house from outside, sometimes seeing the headlights shine through the curtains.

I was mentally and emotionally exhausted, but my body was wide awake. I leaned back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Len came into my thoughts and I instantly pushed him out.

I really just have too much on my mind.


End file.
